Lubbock airport among dozens in Texas that could be hit by government shutdown

DAVID KOENIG

Saturday

Feb 23, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Federal cuts could hit Lubbock airport

DALLAS - Federal officials say air traffic control centers at 25 smaller Texas airports, including Lubbock's, could close or see hours reduced if automatic federal spending cuts take effect next week.

Travelers should expect delays when the cutbacks begin in April, the officials say.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday the reductions are part of its plan to cope with a spending reduction of $600 million during the rest of the fiscal year, which runs through Sept. 30.

The FAA said it is considering furloughing most of its 47,000 employees for one day every two weeks and closing more than 100 air traffic control centers, including 19 in Texas. Overnight shifts could be eliminated at more than 60 additional airports, including Lubbock's and five others in Texas.

(For more about the impact on Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport, see the story on Page A1 in Sunday's Avalanche-Journal.)

The largest airports, such as Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport and Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport, are not on the FAA's list of potential closures or cutbacks.

Flights to major cities like New York, Chicago and San Francisco could have delays of up to 90 minutes during peak hours because there will be fewer controllers on staff, the FAA said.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and FAA chief Michael Huerta said Friday in a letter to aviation industry trade groups the agency "may reduce the efficiency of the national airspace in order to maintain the highest safety standards."

Airlines are likely to cancel some flights if they expect problems, similar to the way that they reduce flights during bad weather to avoid overloading a weakened air-travel system.

Automatic federal spending cuts are scheduled to take effect Friday if Congress and President Barack Obama can't agree on future government spending, although the deadline could be pushed back, as it was at the end of 2012. Government rules require giving workers 30 days' notice of furloughs, which can't start until March 1, so the slowdowns would be expected to hit in April.

On Thursday, airline industry officials tried to sound optimistic that political leaders will reach a deal.

"We fully expect and urge the Congress and the president to ensure that the air transportation system is not negatively impacted" by automatic spending cuts, said Dan Elwell, senior vice president for safety and operations at Airlines for America, a trade group representing the biggest U.S. airlines.